My Reflections

       Bringing your thoughts together when attempting to write analytically is something that can come very slowly. There’s an unsurety, which comes when you know that others recognize your attempt to write analytically and they are going to judge it as such. Even when you know your audience and understand that they are interested in your content there is a pressure that you can feel to try to make sure what you say is not terribly dull, but also factual and correct. The research involved and the need for so many sources of information can be a dizzying challenge once you recognize that, not only do you need enough to make a worthwhile agreement/argument, but you really have to understand the content. The last most evident challenge that I have found with attempting to write analytically is having the time to incorporate the reading with the comprehension, and finally creating a  product worthy of the work that you have put into your research.

            Now that we have covered the biggest challenges according to ‘Michael’ I want to speak more in depth to segments of these challenges, and what I have learned so far to attempt to overcome them, or where I am still searching for answers. The absolute most difficult obstacle for me when trying to change my writing is transitioning. The transition I am speaking of is bringing my thoughts from where I typically like to write in my spare time for throwing down my own ideas, or just a little entertainment, to really speaking to a subject. While there is a level of freedom here to try to make content we write enjoyable, the pure fact of referencing and “borrowing” from sources information that is vital to your credibility weighs heavily on me, and leaves me feeling creatively stifled. Reading “writing analytically” so far has been the biggest help to accepting this change and implementing this type of writing into my repertoire, after we finished reading  there were a lot of frustration speaking to how it was dull or confusing. This seemed odd to me because I enjoyed this writing and the concepts that he planted into my mind, while reading it I tried to go “against the grain” to feel his personality and it was very evident and enjoyable. Asking my friends that I sit and share my thoughts with they would say YOU have trouble with the analytical part of a writing class? I have always been a very analytical person when I finish a movie I don’t just talk about wow that was cool, or that was fun, I jump into the nuts and bolts of the message delivered. I pick through the characters emotions, motives, and everything the creators of the movie were trying to bring acrossed through symbolism, or metaphor. Basically analyzing is a big part of my life, but just as we have discussed in class, we really don’t write the way that we speak generally, and apparently I am a shallower writer than I am person from day to day. This thought pulled me slightly off track but basically I am saying I am analytical generally but it is hard for me to write that way. Reading writing analytically made me realize that if you can master it, you really can have a personality to go along with the, at times, painful drawl of factual content. This helps bridge the gap between my natural desire to entertain with writing and bring a more academic feel to my work.

            Trying to adjust your writing is a challenge just in itself, then we throw in a brand new concept of audience and your head can get spinning. I love the concept of changing the audience so I don’t feel the work I put into something is only going to be read by one pair of tired eyes, which have read through a hundred likely less than exciting works. Having shared my love for the concept of it, this does cause a desire in me to articulate my thoughts in a way that exhaust my mind, because I know others are going to read it and I don’t want others to think that I am lazy or poor at writing. I am recognizing a similar theme while pulling my thoughts together and that is, I really am a shallow writer, and frankly when I have classmates and individuals who we will be serving reading my content I want my work to be liked. Reading through the dozens of articles I have read trying to nail down my focus for our writings, has given me good perspective into the importance of not only recognizing your audience but knowing them as well. The writers in these articles know exactly what audience they are trying to reach and influence and masterfully compose their words in a way that will influence the most devout in contradictory thoughts. This brings to mind an interesting thought of how, when we are writing and researching for our different topics how will our audience affect what we write. Are there going to be times where we won’t take certain risks to challenge thoughts that might not be in line with the service learning we are performing? If that is the case, is that something that might help mold us into being less critical of those who attempt to better themselves and others? Maybe it will just be a means to censor some thoughts that would be important to have voiced? These are thoughts I have circled in my mind while reading articles, and trying to know which pictures, thoughts, or ideals might best keep me in line with the broad audience that I am attempting to appeal to.

            I mentioned a thought in class that made me have a better conceptual understanding of why this way of reading and writing rhetoric, while at times cumbersome, and almost pretentious, can also be enjoyable.  I compared some of the readings we have used, to that of a wine drinker who might dine in the restaurant where I work. I spoke to the fact that they will come in and order wine, and I am to bring it to them, allow them to approve that I in fact brought what they ordered, and then give them a taste to which some will take their sweet time breathing in the supple smell of the wine and take a careful taste. I at first did not care for having to indulge my guest’s “pretention” but I found that after some time, and changing my understanding, it was nice to let them enjoy this simple escape. This long winded comparison ties into this form of academic writing, because we might not want to jump in and indulge along with the writer, but as the reader we can enjoy the linguistic ride as they usher us along their seemingly endless vocabulary, and at times dull content. In the end they know information that we don’t, and if nothing else hopefully we can take something away from it.

            I have spoken to the challenges I have faced while trying to change my writing style to be more in line with what we are learning in class. To conclude my thoughts I want to reference my former statement speaking to my shallowness as a writer, and add one more “sin” of my writing. Arrogance, again we write differently than we are in life and frankly it is difficult for me to “converse” with my sources. I want to take their ideals, concepts, and thoughts gain an understanding and convert them into my own ideas. I have recognized that this is a dead end road, because without factual evidence and sources to validate your research you end up in a proverbial desert, a rambling philosopher; alone.